SPIRITUAL
DIARY FOR 02-25-03
My
Worship Time Focus: Moving on to maturity
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: Hebrews 6:1
Message
of the verse: “Therefore leaving the
elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying
again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,” (NASB)
“So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our
understanding. Surely we don’t need to
start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and
placing our faith in God.” (NLT)
As said
before these Hebrew believers were not maturing in their new faith as they
should have, and thus wanted to leave it and go back to Judaism. There are six OT features listed in verses
one and two and I will go over the first two that are mentioned in this
verse. The first feature is repentance
and this was taught in the OT and its form in the OT is turning away from evil
deeds that bring death and turn to God.
The problem that many Jews had with this is that is was done outwardly
but not from the heart. In the New
Testament repentance (and I must say that this too was practiced in the OT when
someone truly turned from their sins and trusted the Lord to take away their
sins, knowing that it was impossible for them to take care of their own sin
problem,) one confesses his sins to the Father and believes that Jesus Christ
has already paid for his sins on the cross and therefore can have a new
relationship with God. The second
feature is faith toward God and the Jews in the OT did at times have faith in
God the Father because they did not believe in the Trinity. On must have faith in Jesus Christ too as
taught in the NT. These features from
the OT that he is speaking of were shadows while in the NT they are
substances.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: In
speaking of repentance Dr. Wiersbe says that it comes from or is brought about
from God and sites Acts 5:31 & 11:18 as proof of this. I believe that the Bible teaches that the
Holy Spirit is the One who brings about conviction in my life by using the
Scriptures to show me when I have done something that is sinful. I am then to agree with Him that this is sin
and turn from it. I know that there are
times when anger takes control in my life and it did happen yesterday when my
lack of patience brought about anger in my life. I know that this is wrong and so I agree with
God that this is sinful and ask His forgiveness for this.
The Word of God was convicting to my soul as I read it this
morning.
My
Steps of Faith Today: To
say that I am sorry about my anger and lack of patience towards Sandy last
night.
Memory verses for the week:
Psalm 40:1-2
- I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, and heard
my cry,
- He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry
clay; And set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
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